The prior art is replete with patents directed to local area networks for providing communication between various digital data devices located at a common site. Additionally, several such patents relate to networks intended to simultaneously transmit voice and digital data. For example, see:
______________________________________ 4,262,171 Schneider et al. 4,330,687 Foulkes et al. 4,335,464 Armstrong 4,387,271 Artom 4,390,986 Moses 4,425,642 Moses et al. 4,449,218 Strehl 4,456,985 Carsten et al. 4,523,311 Lee et al. Re. 31,510 Carbrey ______________________________________
Other patents of interest concerning local area networks include:
______________________________________ 4,251,879 Clark 4,317,196 Ulug 4,434,463 Quinquis et al. 4,445,213 Baugh et al. 4,450,554 Steensma et al. 4,503,532 Tobagi et al. ______________________________________